Commune

"Sorry," I said, unconvincingly.

"What I'm really here about is the dance," Stu said.

"Wait a minute," I said, holding up my hand to stop Stu. "I'm not going."

"So I hear. So I hear," Stu said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Not only have you made this place a model commune with both your hard work and your attitude, but it was when I was going to introduce my wife."

"Your what?" I asked a little too loudly. Had he and Star got secretly wed? Would she stoop to such tactics to ensure her ties to his fortune?

"After winning the lottery and my decision to build a commune, my wife decided it was time we went our separate ways," Stu said. "But since then, since you have come along and fixed up the commune, she's changed her mind and has decided to give it a chance. Give us a chance again. And it's all your doing, brother. All your doing. So you have to come to the dance. You have to."

Stu was married? What about Star? Had she known this? Were they even a couple or had she just gravitated to him because he was the born leader of this group? Had I been that stupid?

"I'll be there," I said.

"Right on, man. Right on," Stu beamed. "I knew you wouldn't let me down. I knew it."

Stu walked away with a pep in his step. I stood there feeling like a fool. I heard the other mower fire up and looked over to see Star beginning her section of the back lot. She hadn't even so much as glanced my way.

After I finished up my portion of the lot I went back to the barn and showered. I thought, I hoped Star would come in after she was done, but I never saw her.

I arrived at the dance after it had got into full swing. I had lagged behind and got stoned. The sounds drifted from the back of the farm, the acoustical rhythms of the band floated through the air like soft echos. I was floating myself, walking on air, high on the news Star was as free as a bird.

The area, softly lit by the string of lights Eric and Stu had strung up through the trees, glowed in surreal beauty. The faint, sweet smell of hash and the misty fog of pot smoke gave the scene a true communal appearance. People were dancing and laughing and drinking. The tire swing carried hippie after hippie into the now crowded pond. All of them naked and sharing in the experience of communal freedom.

I scanned the area for Star, but through the crowd of people I could not see her.

The music faded and Stu called the crowd to attention from the stage.

"Brothers and sisters," Stu called out. "I need just a few precious minutes of your time."

The crowd turned their attention towards Stu and a muted hush came over them.

"This, my people, is what it's all about," he said, extending out his arms like a giant embrace. "Peace and love and harmony." The crowd roared in approval. "And tonight is a special night for me." Stu reached his hand out and a woman came on stage with him. A bushy-haired woman, dressed in a shawl, sandals and enough bracelets that I could hear them jingling all the way toward the back of the crowd. "I'd like to introduce to you the love of my life. This is my wife, Jeanne."

The crowd cheered and Jeanne flushed in embarrassment. She put her hand up to quiet the crowd. "Please, from now on, call me...Lucky." The crowd went berserk at her new, self-imposed name.

I smiled and fell back into the crowd looking for Star. Stu thanked the crowd and the band went into an acoustical rendition of Stairway to Heaven. I walked the crowd, growing increasingly distraught that Star was nowhere to be found. My mind raced. Was she too distraught herself, knowing Stu had a real wife on the outside and her dreams of financial glory were forever crushed?

I faded into the background and decided to head back to my stall, grab a good nights sleep and work off my frustrations tomorrow. They'd be a great deal to clean up, including bodies strewn everywhere from either drug or alcohol induced comas.

The barn was dark and quiet and still. I walked to my stall, feeling my way in the darkness and crawled into my bed.

"Where have you been?" a voice said.

"What?" I asked, surprised. It was Star.

"I thought you said you weren't going to the dance. I thought that was a hint. I guess I was wrong."

She started to get up. I reached out and stopped her, my hand brushing up against the side of her breast. She was naked.

"No," I said. "Really, I want you to stay."

"Really?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah," I moaned.

Star eased back on my mattress and pulled me to her. Our lips met in a slow kiss, Star's hands finding the side of my face. I leaned forward, placing a hand on her side and feeling the soft, warm flesh just under her breast.

Star slipped her tongue over my own and drew my face closer. I slid my hand down her hips to the curve of her ass. She bent her leg and my fingertips felt the heat of her sex. I pulled her hips forward and pushed my lips and mouth against hers.

Our lips parted. I ran my hand along her smooth leg, from her ankle up to the soft flesh inside her thigh. I wanted to wait to touch her sex. I wanted to prolong the experience, make it last forever.

Star reached inside my shirt and ran her hand across my chest, her other hand fumbling with the button of my jeans.

"Take your clothes off," she whispered.

I stood up and slowly undressed, my eyes adjusting to the darkness of the barn, a sliver of moonlight crossing over Star's body. As I stood there naked, Star reached her hand out and moved down to her. I kissed her again, ran my hand over her breasts, squeezing the nipples and then moved down to lick them. I ran my tongue over each nipple, flicked it, felt Star's body respond by arching back and heard a low moan escape her lips.

Star tangled her fingers in my hair as I moved from nipple to nipple. I moved down and traced my tongue under the curve of each breast, my hand sliding down to part her legs. Star responded by moving them apart and moaning, wordlessly, she wanted me to continue.

Kissed my way down her over her ribs and to that soft down near her bellybutton. I ran my tongue around it and then licked down to the small patch of hair just above her sex. I buried my nose in it, smelling the womanly scent, feel the moist heat rising. I slowly moved down into the fleshy folds of her, my tongue sliding over the clit, now swollen with desire.

Star turned to her side and I felt her hand on my cock. Then her mouth slid slowly over the shaft.

I moved my way down the moist slit of flesh, gliding my tongue up and down, lingering over the swollen clit, pushing against it as Star moved her hips up to greet me.

Star grabbed my hips and rolled herself on top of me, spreading her legs wider as my tongue slipped inside the folds of flesh and moisture. She rocked her hips back and forth, my tongue slipping in and out.

Star started to pump my shaft with her hand, twirling the hand and engulfing it with her mouth. Up and down, the rhythm of her hips matching the rhythm of her hand and mouth.

I grabbed Star's ass and pulled her to my mouth and tongue. I ground my tongue against her clit, the tempo of her bucking hips in perfect synch with her mouth and hand. Our moans in perfect tempo as we came together.

Star collapsed on top of me. We lay there breathing heavy, the wetness of her sex at the base of my chin, the side of Star's face on my own.